1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coin-type determining device for determining the type of a coin by detecting whether a coin has a specific shape or not.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional coin-type determining device is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Application, First Publication No. Hei 3-44770. The device emits slit-shaped light, which is long in the direction of the thickness of a coin, onto the circumferential surface of the coin, and receives the reflected light. Thus, the device determines the type of the irregular shapes formed on the side of the coin, for example, the notches of a 500-yen coin, or the grooves (hereinafter referred to as notches) of a 500-won coin in the direction of its thickness.
Since there are various designs of coins, inclined notches, which are formed on the circumferential surface of the coin and which are inclined with respect to the axis of the coin, will be employed on 500-yen coins in the future. However, the conventional coin-type determining devices cannot effectively detect the inclined notches.